Foot-guard for railways



lowing is a specification.

parts, Figure lis atop or plan view of a guard f UNTTED STATES OLIVER L. DURFLINGER, O

F SHELBYVILLE, INDIANA.

FOOT-GUARD FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,927, dated July 25, 1893.

Application tiled February 8, 1893. Serial No. 461.415. (No model.)

.To Vt1/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER L. DURFLINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shelbyville, in the county of'Shelby and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Guards for Railroad Switches, Crossings, dac., of which the fol- The object of my said invention is to provide a vguard to be used in connection with guard-rails, switches, crossings, frogs, &c.,in railroad tracks, which will effectually prevent persons from being caught therein when walking across or among such tracks. Said invention will be Iirst fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof,'and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar constructed in accordance with my invention, in use in connection with the end of a guardrail; Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical section ot` the same, and Figs. 3 and t transverse sectional views thereof on the dotted lines 3 3 and 4 4., respectively, in Figs. 1 and 2.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the rail of a railroad track; B the guard rail; C the main portion of my improved guard; D a bottom plate therefor, and E a spring or springs interposed between said guard and said bottom plate. The track rail A and guard rail B are or may be of the ordinary or any desired form, and are mounted on ties, T, or otherwise, as may be desired, all of these being generally of the ordinary railway construction.

The guard C is formed to tit between the rails A and B at the end where the guard-rail is usually bent away from the track-rail, and normally is intended to be in contact with the heads or upper portions of said rails, and slope down thence gradually to a tie just beyond the end of the guard-rail, where it is secured by spikes, S, or otherwise, which spikes, when used, preferably pass through slots in said guard, and thus secure it strongly in place. The forward end of the guard is bent or curved downwardly somewhat, to overhang the end of the bottom plate, which is curved upwardly,

C and the bottom plate D, and serves to supf port the former. It is preferably a coiled spring surrounding the bolt or pin C', which retains it in place, but, of course, other forms of springs may be substituted. A single spring is shown, and this will usually be found sufficient, but the number may of course be Y, increased if desired. The spring or springs are adj usted to su pport such a weight as would usually come upon the guard when stepped on by a person or animal, but to yield when the vflanges of the car wheels come in contact therewith. The guard is thus in the former case to all intents and purposes a rigid structure, preventing the feet of persons or animals from getting between the rails or the sides of a switch or frog at the points where placed; while so far as the rolling stock of the railroad is concerned, the guard presents no obstruction to or interference with its usual and ordinary operation.

My invention while only illustrated in connection with the guard-rail, is obviously as capable of use in connection with any form` of track rail intersections, such as switches, frogs and crossings, and I desire to be understood as claiming all such modifications, which are of form merely, as will be readily understood.

Having thus fully described my said invenn tion, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the guard pivotally secured to the ties at one end by spikes S driven through holes therein suitably formed to permit the pivotal motion, a supporting plate secured to other ties below the free end of said guard, and a spring interposed be-.

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tween Said plate and said guard whereby said guard 1s normally held in raised position, said guard being constructed and operating Sub- Stantlally as set forth.

2. The combination of a guard O Secured at one end, with its free end curved downwardly, a bottom plate D having its corresponding end curved upwardly, and a spring interposed between them, substantially as set forth.

3. Thecornbination of a guard C Secured at one end, the other or free end being formed to fit between the rails or frog or Switch sides, as Shown, and provided with a bolt or pin C extending downwardly, the bottom plate D having a perforation for said piu or bolt, and 15 'a Spring E interposed between the parts C OLIVER Il. DURFLINGER. [L 5.]

Witnesses: s

CHESTER BRADFORD, JAMES A. WALSH. 

